North Carolina had many record labels in the 1960’s, but few were as prolific as Tornado Records. Based in Greensboro, the label had offices at 1712 Farrell Avenue, but also did business via PO Drawer 6787.

Tornado’s stock in trade was regional Country & Western music, although artists from as far away as Pennsylvania and Maine were released by the label. Tornado was owned by David Lee Perkins, whose name appears frequently with author credits on many releases.

The years of operation for the label seem to have been rather compact, roughly estimated to range from late 1964 to mid-1967, referencing Mike Markesich’s excellent tome, “Teenbeat Mayhem.”

Although typically beyond the scope of Garage Hangover, Tornado registers in the minds of garage fans as the home of the second single by The Nomads of Mt. Airy, North Carolina. As far as Tornado was concerned, The Nomads were a “Sensational New Discovery,” and said just that right on the record label. “Thoughts of a Madman” b/w “From Zero Down” was released in April of 1967, and ranks high among garage rock enthusiasts nationwide. It was the Nomads second single, the first being on the Stark label profiled on this site.

Also of note are the Caravans from Greensboro. Their single, “Twistin’ Rockin’ Baby” b/w “Rainbow of Love” from a couple of years earlier rocks pretty well, with an occasionally cool, John Lennon-esque vocal on the A-side.

Profile of Tornado Records artist Gail Day, Feb. 2, 1967

Tornado Records Discography (if anyone can help fill in the gaps, more power to them):

This is the start of a short timeline covering the career of The Flowerpot Men, famous for the UK hit “Let’s Go To San Francisco”.

I’d like to thank Miguel Terol for helping to piece together the following timeline. I would welcome any input from anyone who can add or correct information below. The following sources were also very useful:

D’Arcy Studios was started by Warren Miller, who had cut “Everybody’s Got a Baby But Me” / “Say You’ll Be True” for United Artists in 1958. In 1964 Miller had a label called D’Arcy with two country releases, one each by Charlie Wiggs and Jesse Travers.

In 1966 Miller started D’Arcy Sound Studios in Norfolk, and Sounds International seems to have been the house label for the studio.

About half the label’s releases were soul, of which the Sheepherders is most in demand. The Nite Liters and Del-Notes are good blue eyed soul.

The Rude Awakening is garage, the Outcasts single is heavy organ-based rock. The Common Wealth has been described as folky rock. The Holmes Brothers singles are country.

In 1968 Miller started using a new label, Nottingham Disc Co., which continued the last two digits of the numbering system (for example, changing from Sounds International 640, 641, 642 to 849, 850, 851 for Nottingham Disc Co). Nottingham 853 and 854 read “D’Arcy Studio Center” on the labels instead of “D’Arcy Sound Studios”.

The Journey Back’s single on Nottingham Disc is much sought after, and New Directions “Springtime Lady” is also very good. I haven’t heard the Russ Spooner or Mark III singles yet.

Around 1970 Miller changed the name of the studio to simply Studio Center and began a new five-digit numbering system beginning with “50”. He revived the Sounds International label for at least two releases in a 70s rural rock style.

Twenty Grand Music BMI published all original songs on Sounds International and Nottingham Disc Co.

Sounds International and Nottingham Disc Co. discography:Any help with this discography would be appreciated.

Danny O’Brien of the Del Notes An early photo shows Earl Howard and Ronny Methany jamming with members of another group, including Steve K. (surname?) on rhythm guitar, Harrell Baker on lead guitar and sax and Donny Falk on bass guitar.

The Del Notes recorded their singles at D’Arcy Studios across the James River in Norfolk, VA.

The first included two original songs, “Don’t Leave Me Girl” by Danny O’Brien b/w “I Been Thinking Lately” by Earl Howard, released on Top Cat 968 in April of 1968.

Earl Howard of the Del NotesFor their second single on the Sounds International label, Danny O’Brien wrote a great blue-eyed soul song “I Love You” b/w another Earl Howard ballad “I Wish I Was Home” which a commentator said was written for Ronnie Matheny who had been sent to Vietnam.

Twenty Grand Music BMI published their original songs.

Danny O’Brien periodically revived the Del-Notes over the next few decades. Later members included bassist Garland Reese, guitarist Fred Ordonio and drummer Randy Jackson.

Earl Howard was killed in an auto accident on May 16, 1991. Dan O’Brien passed away on December 4, 2003.

The photos seen here Tom Hudgins submitted to the Peninsula Garage yahoo group some years back.

I don’t know of any other releases on this Top Cat label, but D’Arcy Sound Studios and Twenty Grande Music publishing show up on many releases on the Sounds International label. I’ll publish a discography of Sounds International next.

Freddy Mack’s album recorded in 1967 (not 1966). Thanks to Dave Tedstone for image

Retired American light-heavyweight boxer Freddie Mack, sometimes spelt Freddy Mack and also known as Mr Superbad, relocated to the UK in 1965 and established a second career as a soul singer and disc jockey.

Between late 1965 and the mid-1970s, Mack fronted a succession of bands featuring a staggering number of notable British R&B and soul musicians.

Originally called The Mack Sound, the singer’s bands also worked under the names The Freddie Mack Sound, The Fantastic Freddie Mack Show and the Freddie Mack Extravaganza.

In December 1965, Freddie Mack was briefly paired with The Phil Wainman Band for a Christmas/New Year show with American singer Cleo Sylvester. The group’s line up at the time comprised lead guitarist Mick Stewart; bass player Ron Thomas; organist Mick Fletcher; sax players Mel Wayne and Dave Mahoney; and drummer Phil Wainman.

Mel Wayne says that if he recalls correctly, Mick Fletcher was staying with him in Twickenham and the pair had problems with the trains and arrived late. Mack was going to fine them but the rest of the band rallied and said they’d leave if he did.

Unfortunately, the show proved to be a one off and Wainman’s band went on to work with a succession of Jamaican artists, including Millie, Owen Grey and most notably Jimmy Cliff.

Around April 1966 Freddie Mack approached Screaming Lord Sutch & The Savages to form a new (and larger) stage show, which already had Cleo Sylvester plus another American singer, Ronald Bertram Greaves (aka Sonny Childe) lined up to join (although Melody Maker lists Sonny Childe playing with The Charms at the Cue Club, Paddington on 11 May 1966).

Screaming Lord Sutch had been using Liverpool band, Derry Wilkie & The Others as a backing group for several months but the musicians were keen to break away from Lord Sutch.

The entire outfit – singer Derry Wilkie; lead guitarist Ernie Hayes; tenor sax player Phil Kenzie; baritone sax player Ashton Tootell; bass player Derek Bond; and drummer Billy Adamson accepted Mack’s offer and signed up, debuting at the Ram Jam in Brixton on 22 April 1966 under the name Freddie Mack’s This ‘N’ That.

The excellent Derry Wilkie website also lists a number of other players that were part of this larger show: singer Jo Baker; lead guitarist Geoff Krivit; tenor sax player “Nobby Clarke”; trumpet player Mark Charig; organist Mike Vaughn-Jones; and percussionist Eddie Lincoln.

Krivit, incidentally, had briefly been a member of John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers in 1965 and would go on to play with Dr K’s Blues Band. Charig meanwhile had been a member of The Sidewinders (recently playing at Count Suckle’s Cue Club in Paddington) and later worked with Bluesology (alongside Elton John).

Billed as This ‘N’ That, the line-up recorded a lone single, “Get Down With It” c/w “I Care About You” for the Strike label, which was released on 10 June 1966.

Judging by an advert printed in 11 June 1966 edition of Melody Maker, the single features singers Derry Wilkie, Sonny Childe, Cleo Sylvester and Leon plus “the explosive sound of TNT and Mack Sound”.

But Derry Wilkie didn’t hang around long and briefly embarked on a solo career (possibly when Sonny Childe came fully on-board).

The rest of Mack’s group left in early July 1966 to work as Sonny Childe & The TNT. According to Ernie Hayes, when Sonny Childe returned to the US around August 1967, the guitarist, plus organist Mike Vaughan-Jones and drummer Billy Adamson joined forces with bass player Jet Harris and former Geno Washington guitarist/singer Pete Gage for a few months. Phil Kenzie meanwhile joined Tuesday’s Children for four months.

In December 1967, Ernie Hayes, Mike Vaughan-Jones, Billy Adamson and Phil Kenzie reunited in TNT to back American singer PP Arnold with former Creation’s member Eddie Phillips on bass. Adamson later played with The Searchers while Kenzie returned to Freddie Mack’s band in spring 1968 (see forthcoming entry).

Back in late August 1966, Derry Wilkie returned to sing with The Mack Sound. By this time, Freddie Mack had brought in baritone sax player Roger Warwick, whose CV included spells with The Tornados and Screaming Lord Sutch & The Savages, to put together a new formation.

Drawing on a number of web sources, and accounts from several musicians, it looks like the new line up’s formation, which signed to Dumont Associates (as advertised in Melody Maker’s 15 October issue), comprised the following at some point between September 1966 and January 1967:

Freddie Mack – lead vocals

Derry Wilkie – lead vocals

Tony Morgan – lead vocals, congas

Kenneth Harry – lead vocals

Kookie Eaton – lead vocals

Ged Peck – lead guitar

Billy Davidson – organ

Art Regis – organ (most likely from January 1967)

Alan Cartwright – bass

Roger Warwick – baritone saxophone

Dick Morrisey – tenor saxophone

Clarence Jackson – trombone

Bernie Wehrman – tenor saxophone

Chris Burdett – alto saxophone (possibly joined later in 1966)

Jeff Bridge – tenor saxophone (possibly joined later in 1966)

Phil Presland – baritone saxophone (possibly joined later in 1966)

Eddie ‘Tan Tan’ Thornton – trumpet (joined October 1966)

B J Wilson – drums

Art Regis with The Defenders

Hammond organist Art Regis, who’d previously performed with Mel Turner & Rupert and The Red Devils, Dutch band The Defenders, The SW5 and The Arthur Brown Union, remembers Derry Wilkie, Tony Morgan, Kookie Eaton, Dick Morrisey, Bernie Wehrman, Clarence Jackson and Eddie Thornton being in the band at the same time as him.

Clarence Jackson was a member of Otis Redding’s touring band when the singer had made his UK debut in September 1966, so it’s probably safe to assume he joined after the tour had finished.

Eddie ‘Tan Tan’ Thornton, however, was still working with Georgie Fame & The Blue Flames until October 1966, and therefore it’s possible that another trumpet player was there before.

Thanks to recollections from Ged Peck, it appears that the first keyboard player was Billy Davidson (who later worked with The Flowerpot Men among others) but he was replaced by Art Regis at some point.

One thing is clear from tracing Freddie Mack’s bands during the 1960s, the line-ups tended to be pretty fluid and (particularly) horn players appeared to come and go on a regular basis, making pinning down definitive formations almost impossible.

Of the other musicians listed above, lead guitarist Ged Peck had been a member of The Favourite Sons before briefly playing with Chris Lamb & The Universals. Dick Morrisey came from The Ian Hamer Sextet while B J Wilson had played with The Paramounts and George Bean & The Runners.

In late February 1967, Wilson joined Sands and then Procol Harum, so would only have been there a matter of months. Alan Cartwright was an old friend of Wilson’s and would later play with Procol Harum in the Seventies.

Art Regis recalls Freddie Mack coming to his flat in Portobello Road and discussing the possibility of forming “an extravagant international soul show”. The Hammond organist also remembers playing at Silver Blades Ice Rink in Streatham and a trek down to Cornwall to play an air sea rescue base in Falmouth (possibly gig listed below on 30 March 1967).

More importantly, Art Regis also recalls performing with Freddie Mack at Billy Walker’s The Upper Cut in Forest Gate, which opened on 21 December 1966. According to Melody Maker, Mack’s band was the resident support band at this notable venue until early February 1967.

Throughout this period, musicians appear to have come and gone on a regular basis. According to Nick Simper’s excellent website, Roger Truth, who had played with the future Deep Purple bass player in Johnny Kidd & The Pirates, took over the drum stool in late November 1966.

Like B J Wilson, Roger Warwick also left in the winter of 1966. Warwick moved to Italy to form a band for Lebanese singer Patrick Samson.

The New Pirates in February 1967. Mick Stewart (far left) who played with Mack in December 1965 and Nick Simper (second from right) who briefly played with Mack in early 1967. Photo: John Kerrison

Nick Simper also spent a week with the band when it was resident support act at the Upper Cut (most likely the first week in January 1967) after working with Bobby Hebb’s touring band. However, Alan Cartwright was soon back and Simper formed The New Pirates the following month.

Art Regis would reunite with Nick Simper and Ged Peck June 1967 in Billie Davis & The Quality before working briefly with Engelbert Humperdinck. Regis confirms that he then joined Jimmy James & The Vagabonds on 27 July 1967.

Another keyboard player that is often associated with Freddie Mack during this time is future Gonzalez member Roy Davies, who’d previously been a member of Southeast London band, The Loose Ends. It looks most likely that Davies came on-board when Art Regis left.

Notable gigs:

10 September 1966 – The Cavern, Liverpool with Eddie Cave & The Fix, The Kop, The Hideaways, The Seftons and The Rocking Vicars

Other changes around this time included another drummer (possibly B J Wilson), who would have filled in when Roger Truth temporarily bailed to rehearse with Nick Simper’s New Pirates but then had a change of heart and returned. Also, some sources note that West Indian trumpet player Sonny Corbett joined during early 1967.

Ged Peck certainly was gone sometime in late March/early April 1967 and joined Nick Simper in Billie Davis & The Quality that May before going on to a number of notable acts, including Warhorse (alongside Simper). His temporary replacement was former Tornados and Echoes guitarist Stuart Taylor.

Lead guitarist Dave Tedstone, who had previously been a member of The Doc Thomas Group, remembers going to Eel Pie Island to see Freddie Mack’s band and says that it was one of Roger Truth’s final gigs (before he left to join Simon Raven Cult). Tedstone also recalls that Stuart Taylor was on guitar. Thanks to Pete Watt’s excellent research this gig can be confirmed as 4 April 1967.

TO BE CONTINUED…

I would personally like to thank the following for helping to piece this story together: Mel Wayne, Art Regis, Dave Tedstone and Nick Simper.

PLEASE LEAVE COMMENTS BELOW TO ADD/CORRECT INFORMATION

Live gig sources:

During my research on Freddie Mack from 1965-1969, I have found gigs from the following sources:

This five-piece harmony band was formed at Warlingham School in Surrey during 1968. The group recorded two singles for NEMS, kicking off with “Like the Sun” c/w “Florence”, which was released in September 1968. Both sides were produced by guitarist Pete Gage, who co-wrote “Like the Sun” with the band. “Florence” was written by Mike Hutson with a school friend.

A second single, “Heart and Soul” c/w “Who Wants Happiness” came out on 24 January 1969 by which point the band had split up. Produced again by Pete Gage, “Heart and Soul” was composed by R MacDonald and M Green while Dave Moses penned “Who Wants Happiness”. Pete Gage made the decision that Pete Frolich rather than Mike Hutson should sing on “Heart and Soul”.

Martin Woodward joined The Fantastics’ backing group, The House of Orange and later recorded with Aquila before working with the Tommy Hunt Band. Mike Hutson subsequently took up a post in promotions at United Artists and RCA.

Thank you Martin Woodward for providing information about this band and also to Pete Gage. Garage Hangover would be interested to hear from anyone that can add more information about the group.

To support the soul act on the road, Roy Tempest’s agency hired West London band, The Sovereigns, who had been formed in mid-1965 and comprised singer Roy St John (real name: Roy Thwaites), lead guitarist Pip Williams, bass player Mick Williams, tenor sax player Freddie Tillyer and drummer Keith Franklin.

When the band turned professional, Pip’s brother Mick dropped out and Mick Tomich took over on bass. Shortly after, sax player Freddie Tillyer also left. Just before the band got picked up by Roy Tempest’s agency, Scotsman Brian Johnson, keyboard player in The Senate, came on board.

2 September 1967 – Starlight Room, Boston Gliderdrome, Boston, Lincolnshire with The Equals, The Sovereigns and The Rubber Band (billed as “Fabulous Temptations”)

3 September 1967 – King Mojo, Sheffield (billed as “Temptations”)

5 September 1967 – Whisky A Go Go, London (billed as “Temptations”)

Within weeks of the tour starting, Mick Tomich departed and Ron Thomas was brought in from Hamilton & The Movement. Tomich went on to play with Pickettywitch among others. By this point, the group had changed name from The Sovereigns to The House of Orange.

Selected gigs:

16 September 1967 – The Place, Wakefield, West Yorkshire

14 November 1967 – Whisky A Go Go, London (billed as “Fabulous Temptations”).

According to James Smith, the Fantastics had problems with UK work permits around this time and had to work in Europe for six months. Just before the following gigs in Germany, Ron Thomas left (later to play, most notably, with The Heavy Metal Kids) and one of the roadie’s mates joined on bass.

Selected gigs:

June-July 1969 – US airbases in Germany

July 1969 – NATO airbase in Naples, Italy

Martin Woodward in Rome

Pip Williams, who wasn’t long married and needed to return home, left while the band was in Naples and returned home, later joining Jimmy James & The Vagabonds. A guitarist called Fred was flown out to Majorca after the bass player filled in briefly for shows in Cannes, France.

Pip Williams later became a top session player, working with producer Phil Wainman among others. Later on, he became a successful producer, and is best known for producing Status Quo and The Moody Blues, among others.

When the band folded in 1970, Martin Woodward and James Smith formed Aquila who, after gigging around the UK, Rome, Paris and Amsterdam, recorded a lone ‘prog rock’ album for RCA. They then teamed up again backing Geno Washington for a short time. Woodward then joined the Tommy Hunt Band and Smith hooked up with a German-based American soul band working in Spain.

A huge thanks to Pip Williams, Martin Woodward, Ron Thomas and James Smith for their help piecing the band history together. Thank you to Pip Williams for The Sovereigns photos. Thanks to Martin Woodward for personal photo and to James Smith for Aquila image.

The Sugar Band was formed in late 1966 out of the ashes of West London R&B/soul outfit, Colin Shane & The Shannons. Coxon had joined the outfit that summer after working with Hampton, Middlesex group, The Others.

Around September 1967, the group’s agent linked the band with Jamaican singer Delroy Williams and they worked initially as Delroy Williams & The Sugar Band before becoming The Delroy Williams Shows. Go go dancers Una and Paula joined them on stage.

During 1968, Dave Mumford and Dick Merrit departed and were replaced by new members. However, a combination of poor management and artistic differences led to a split in early 1969 when Coxon left to join The Kool. He subsequently reunited with Dave Mumford in Calum Bryce alongside sax player Mel Wayne, who had been Colin Shane & The Shannons from 1962-1964.

Mumford had recorded the track ‘Love Maker’ under the name Calum Bryce and needed a group to tour to promote the single. The band recorded a second single, “In My Valley”, which was never released.

Notable gigs:

8 October 1967 – Flamingo, London

20 October 1967 – Flamingo, London

29 January 1968 – Rhodes Centre, Bishop’s Stortford, Hertfordshire

10 February 1968 – Blue Lagoon, Newquay, Cornwall with Spirit of John Morgan

1 March 1968 – Galashiels, Scotland

2 March 1968 – Glasgow, Scotland

3 March 1968 – Edinburgh, Scotland

4 March 1968 – Aberdeen, Scotland

5 March 1968 – Elgin, Scotland

6 March 1968 – Stonehaven, Scotland

7 March 1968 – Dundee, Scotland

8 March 1968 – Forfar, Scotland

9 March 1968 – Edinburgh, Scotland

10 March 1968 – Glasgow, Scotland

11-16 March 1968 – Playboy, London

17 March 1968 – Leytonstone, Essex

18-23 March 1968 – Playboy, London

24 March 1968 – Burton-on-Trent

25 March 1968 – Recording

26 March 1968 – Bournemouth, Dorset

27 March 1968 – Catford, Kent

28 March 1968 – Ealing, Middlesex

29 March 1968 – Flamingo, Soho, London

30 March 1968 – Gloucester, Gloucestershire

31 March 1968 – Gillingham, Kent

1 April 1968 – Rhodes Centre, Bishop’s Stortford, Hertfordshire

11 April 1968 – Colchester, Essex

12 April 1968 – Eastbourne, East Sussex

13 April 1968 – Yeovil, Somerset

14 April 1968 – Stockport, Greater Manchester

15 April 1968 – Leeds

16 April 1968 – Hanley, Staffordshire

17 April 1968 – Revolution, London

18 April 1968 – Abingdon, Oxfordshire

19 April 1968 – Perton

20 April 1968 – Waddington

21 April 1968 – Silver Ends

22-23 April 1968 – London

26 April 1968 – Weymouth, Dorset

27 April 1968 – Torquay, Devon

29 April 1968 – London

14 September 1968 – Alex Disco, Salisbury

Most gigs were sourced from Melody Maker.

Many thanks to Geoff Coxon for background information on the Sugar Band.

Garage Hangover would love to hear from anyone who can provide more information on the band and its members.

Johnny & The Pursuers was a short-lived R&B outfit from Twickenham, Middlesex, formed around 1961. Drummer Alan Worrell had gone to Spring Grove Grammar School in Isleworth and was classmates with future Small Faces keyboard player Ian McLagan. They had previously worked together in a skiffle group with Terry Munro.

According to Worrell, Ian McLagan designed and produced the group’s business cards in black and silver.

On 28 April 1962, the band took part in the Twickenham Rhythm contest alongside local rivals Colin Shane & The Shannons and The Bullets. They also played at Wimbledon Theatre for a week in the Tommy Trinder variety show.

In June 1962, Dave Wigginton and Louis McKelvey departed to join Jeff Curtis & The Flames while Worrell went on to play with Colin Shane & The Shannons.

Garage Hangover would be interested to hear more about this band and what happened to its members.

Thanks to Alan Worrell for the information and images.

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This site is a work in progress on 1960s garage rock bands. All entries can be updated, corrected and expanded. If you have information on a band featured here, please let me know and I will update the site and credit you accordingly.

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